By Randall L. Broad
This essay comes not from the One Year Bible but rather from a question found in the book Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
For those who do not know–Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian executed in the last days of Nazi Germany for his role in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. In his short life he left behind a written legacy that in my humble opinion makes him one of the towering theologians of his century. The Cost of Discipleship and his book Ethics are challenging but profound reading for anyone interested in better understanding the Christian path.
There is an interesting perspective on day that distinguishing the Old Testament from the New. The Old Testament day was believed to begin in the evening and end at the setting of the sun the next day. This is logical procession from the Old Testament experience and teachings of creation. Creation began in darkness and God brought light to the world. A process repeated every day the sun rises that should remind us of the majestic power of God as the creator.
The New Testament church begins with the rising of the sun and ends with the dawn of a new day. The dawn represents the moment of fulfillment and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Born at night, Jesus brought light to the darkness. Crucified during the day, darkness descended upon the earth and at the dawn of Easter Christ rose from the grave to bring light to the world.
Paul writes:
…6so
then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7For
those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk
at night. 8But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put
on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.…
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
In another more famous passage, Paul exhorts the church of Ephesus to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
In the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament church, night must have been an ominous event indeed. The only light available until the sun would rise in the morning was the dim illumination of a candle, lamp, or fire. There was no switch to light the room, the streets, or the parking lots. They could not leave on their televisions or radios to comfort them. Businesses were closed, factories did not run, stores were not open. The night promised only a time of darkness and evil, either within their own minds or through the evil actions of the men and women who frequented and inhabited the places of sin that would be open after dusk. Once the night descended a righteous person of the Old Testament or a believer in the New Testament church was left alone with their thoughts and conscience.
There was a time that would come either at the beginning or the end of every day in which the person must not only survive the darkness of the night but the darkness of their own spirit. In essence this is true of all humanity for all time. Though we can mask our fears and awe by the use of electric light, we cannot escape the darkness that still descends upon our spirits in the night. I pray that each of you may “know of the great joy that our forefathers and the early Christians felt every morning at the return of light.”[2]
© Copyright 2017: Randall L. Broad
Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.
